How to be more forgiving through your meditation practice

Forgiving a person for something that they did wrong can either be very easy or extremely difficult, it all depends on the situation. For example, forgiving your spouse because they forgot to buy milk is a lot easier than having to forgive a cheating partner.

Quite simply, the act of forgiving might not always be easy, however, regardless of other's actions, forgiveness can be a very important step to take in order to move on to the next stage in your life.

Fortunately, regular meditation nurtures mindfulness, as well as a host of other qualities including gratitude, which in return goes hand in hand with forgiveness.

Let's take a closer look at how being mindful through meditation can help you to be become a more forgiving person and how you can incorporate a short forgiveness practice in your everyday routine.

Name it

Identifying the source of your anger is the first step on your journey of forgiveness. It is difficult to forgive if you don’t know who to forgive and why.

With the help of meditation and being mindful of the situation you can clear up the question of who and why. Write it down in order to make it even clear if needed.

Flip your focus

Meditation creates a space where you are able to process all of the relevant information in your mind without any outside influence or judgment.

Over reaction and premature assumptions are often times the main causes of anger.

Place yourself in the other parties shoes, try to understand why the acted the way they did. Understanding their point of view, or their way of thinking will go a long way in the process of forgiveness.

Take action (baby steps are ok)

Confronting the person that wronged you can be very intimidating, taking action doesn’t imply that you have to do this, start small instead.

Take action by doing small deeds that empower you.

Regular mindfulness meditation is a great example of how to take action and empowering yourself. It is a lot easier to forgive when you feel empowered and confident within yourself.

Find meaning through your pain

With the help of mindfulness meditation it is possible to find meaning through your pain.

Through meditation you are able to think about your pain in a clear and objective space and learn from what went wrong, you might find that this will foster empathy and understanding in the long run.

Guided forgiveness meditation practice:

Step 1 - Think of someone who has caused you harm, or someone that you may hold a grudge against.

Step 2 - Visualize the time that you were hurt by this person, feel the pain and emotions that this hurt brought about

Step 3 - Be aware of how you body starts to feel, focus on your anxiety levels, heart rate etc.

Step 4 - Now ask yourself the question, who is really suffering from this? Is it you? Or is it the person that you are holding the grudge against?

Step 5 - Are you ready to forgive this person and remove this pain from your heart and mind? It is ok if the answer is no, but if you are ready then acknowledge this pain and also acknowledge to yourself that you are willing to forgive and free yourself from this burden.

Author - Charlie Morley

Charlie enjoys both yoga and meditation and incorporating both as part of his morning routine is something that he strives for everyday. Outside of work, Charlie enjoys sports and other social gatherings. Follow his spiritual journey at Kenshō way.